Performance evaluation of modified bioretention systems with alkaline solid wastes for enhanced nutrient removal from stormwater runoff

Zhaoyang You; Li Zhang; Shu-Yuan Pan; Pen-Chi Chiang; Silu Pei; Shujuan Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2019.05.105

Performance evaluation of modified bioretention systems with alkaline solid wastes for enhanced nutrient removal from stormwater runoff

Water Res. 2019 Sep 15:161:61-73. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.05.105. Epub 2019 May 31.

Authors

Zhaoyang You¹, Li Zhang², Shu-Yuan Pan³, Pen-Chi Chiang⁴, Silu Pei⁵, Shujuan Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Urban Construction, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, China.
² College of Urban Construction, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, China; Carbon Cycle Research Center, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei City, 10673, Taiwan.
³ Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, 10617, Taiwan. Electronic address: sypan@ntu.edu.tw.
⁴ Carbon Cycle Research Center, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei City, 10673, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei City, 10673, Taiwan.
⁵ Research Institute of CNTY, Shanghai, 200000, China.

PMID: 31176885
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.05.105

Abstract

Bioretention systems have been found to be potential candidates for the removal of various pollutants/nutrients from rainfall or stormwater runoff. Despite bioretention has been widely developed for the removal of nutrients from stormwater, effective removal of both phosphorus and nitrogen is still a challenge. Hence, in this study, bioretention systems modified by alkaline solid waste media have been reported for the effective removal of nutrients. Six different types of solid wastes were first assessed using leaching and adsorption tests, and then the bottom ash from a refuse incineration plant was selected as a modifier. The bottom ash was mixed with soil to form a special media as the filter layer in the bioretention systems. The nutrient removal efficiencies of the modified bioretention systems were evaluated and also compared with those of the unmodified control. For this purpose, the design of the modified filter media with a saturated zone was combined to enhance the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. The effect of different rainfall intensities and nutrient concentrations in stormwater runoff on the removal efficiency of nutrients was evaluated. The results indicated that the modified bioretention with bottom ash modified soil media and saturated zone could exhibit the excellent removal efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater runoff. The extent of removal of total nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total phosphorus was found to be 58-70%, 66-82% and 82-97%, respectively. The performed correlation analysis showed that the bioretention cell using the special media could simultaneously enhance the removal of phosphorus and nitrogen. As a part of this study, the adsorption isotherms of phosphorus removal by the modified bioretention systems have also been determined. Finally, the implications and opportunities for deploying modified bioretention systems for optimizing water-energy nexus and stormwater management were illustrated. In overall, this study demonstrated that the modified bioretention systems could substantially enhance the removal efficiencies of nutrients from stormwater runoff.

Keywords: Bottom ash; Dissolved phosphorus; Freundlich; Green infrastructure; Isotherm; Rainfall intensity.

MeSH terms

Nitrogen
Nutrients*
Phosphorus
Rain
Soil
Solid Waste*

Substances

Soil
Solid Waste
Phosphorus
Nitrogen